


A Christmas Favor

by AnxietyAardvark



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Alternate Universe, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Party, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Short One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:40:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,294
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28280037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnxietyAardvark/pseuds/AnxietyAardvark
Summary: Inuyasha and Kagome are great friends and have known each other for years. When Kagome's work decides to host a Christmas party one of her coworkers won't stop pestering her to be his date. She runs to the one person she knows will be able to get the guy off her back-- Inuyasha.
Relationships: Higurashi Kagome/InuYasha
Comments: 9
Kudos: 60





	A Christmas Favor

**Author's Note:**

  * For [smmahamazing](https://archiveofourown.org/users/smmahamazing/gifts).



> Written for IYFF BC Secret Santa! I hope y'all Enjoy!

Inuyasha lazily laid out on his couch, his black work tie barely held together around his collar bone. He had what Kagome would describe as ‘a day’ at work and was happy to simply order some food, crack open a beer, and play some video games with Miroku and Ban if they were free, though it wouldn’t be likely given the holidays creeping around the corner. Everyone was busy buying gifts, visiting families, traveling: the whole nine yards for the typical holiday season. 

And here he was, alone. Kagome had been his best friend since middle school and had been by his side for everything. The death of his parents, graduation, endless college study sessions, the college parties she definitely enjoyed far more than he ever did, broke college life adventures, and ultimately ended up getting their big kid jobs in the same city. They were each other’s emotional rocks; whenever one was having a bad day they’d be there for each other in an instant. But not today. 

Kagome had some Christmas work party with her coworkers—Inuyasha’s hell if there ever was one. She couldn’t get him to go to one after the last time when one of her coworkers kept touching his ears. Yes, he had dog ears, and just because they were veterinary doctors didn’t give them the privilege to touch them. She could touch them, but no one else. 

He’d held that sentiment for some time. Only Kagome, no one else. He’d loved that damn girl for so long now, but was too much of a chicken to say it. Somehow over the years she’d snuck past his mile-high defenses and become his home. They’d both casually dated other people over the years, with little success. Thankfully.

Just as he had finally pulled himself upright and walked into the kitchen to snag himself his first beer of the night, Inuyasha groaned at the sound of knocking on his door. He didn’t need this shit, not tonight. Whoever it was needed to piss off and leave him alone. 

“Inuyashaaaaaaaa? I know you’re home!” Kagome called through the door, and his ears perked up at the sound of her melodic voice. She was here? Within an instant he was at his apartment door, pulling it open to see Kagome’s bright smile. She looked… pretty gross. There were various fluids on her cat-patterned scrub top with black scrub bottoms, her shoes looked wet from being recently washed, and the small backpack hanging off her elbow looked stuffed full. 

Seeing his already-tired expression she began to speak. “Okay, before you get grumpy, I have a huuuuuuuuuge favor to ask of you. One of the: ‘Inuyasha pinky-promised back when he was in a good mood he’d help me when I needed it’ kind of favors.” 

He was so happy to see her, and yet here he was, scowling and flicking off the bottle cap to the soon to be chugged beer. “Uh huh.” They had gone back and forth owing each other favors for years. She’d help him with papers, she’d need tutoring in math, she’d make his favorite foods, he’d help her move, but over the years they had become few and far between. They were both 25: he was a successful accountant and she had become a veterinarian. They each had their work but with their schedules, they had begun to only see each other maybe once a week, if they were lucky. 

They walked together into the kitchen. “Spill it, ‘Gome.” 

“I need you to be my date tonight.” 

“Tonight? O-okay?” Inuyasha was confused. He’d been her plus one on various occasions before; why was this one worthy of a pinky promise? 

Kagome blushed lightly and pressed her pointer fingers together repeatedly. “I need you to pretend to be my boyfriend at the party tonight so the new annoying hire will leave me alone. He asked me to be his date tonight at work and I told him that I have a boyfriend. Shiori told him it was you.” 

“So... you want me to be your fake-boyfriend?” Inuyasha could hear her heart rate speed up as Kagome mentioned Shiori. That liar. Why would she lie about Shiori saying that? Unless… 

Kagome looked up at his face. It was such a typical Inuyasha look—nonchalant expression with an eyebrow arched as he sipped his beer—peering down at her. I want you to be my real boyfriend, you stubborn idiot, but being my fake boyfriend will do tonight, Kagome thought to herself. “Please?” she asked.

He sighed, feigning hesitation as he placed the now empty beer on the counter. “Kagome—” 

“You get one ‘unlimited Kagome favor’ if you do?” Kagome tilted her head up at him, a mischievous smile on her face as she watched his ears perk forward at attention. She’d cleaned his entire apartment for two months once with one of these coveted unlimited favors. 

He continued to toy with her, intentionally exaggerating his flattened demeanor. “Open bar?”

“Definitely. If not, I’ll buy your drinks.” 

“I’ll be your boyfriend.” Inuyasha's eyes widened for a moment as he realized his slip up, but he quickly covered. “Fake-boyfriend. As long as I don’t have to kiss you, I know you and your affinity for garlicky foods when you’ve been drinking,” he teased, sticking his tongue out between his teeth as he lightly pinched her side. Salvaged that slip up. 

Kagome gasped and slapped his hand away. “The audacity of you sometimes, dog boy! I’m breathing all over you after I eat the smelliest dish I can find!” 

They looked at each other in comfortable silence for a moment, relishing in each other's presence before he cleared his throat. “I guess we need to get ready? Unless you want to show up smelling like a dog in your scrubs.” 

“You and I both know only one of us smells like a dog, and the one that does has the ears to prove it.” Kagome reached up to lightly flick one of his ears before hiking her backpack onto her shoulder and headed to the bathroom. “Dibs on the first shower!” 

He watched her disappear around the corner, shaking his head before heading to his bedroom, stopping before his modest closet. How fancy was this party? It was a Christmas party… not a New Year's party, so the singular tuxedo that hung in his closet could stay on the hanger. 

As he looked at himself in the mirror, he wondered if maybe he didn't have to change at all? He was still wearing his black work slacks, and his long-sleeved white work shirt didn't look half-bad still. Simply rolling up the sleeves to his elbows, tucking the shirt back into his pants, and pressing out the wrinkles, he thought maybe it looked good enough? 

Inuyasha stood for a moment before growling and promptly going to change into a fresh set of clothes. He wanted to look like the boyfriend Kagome deserved, not an exhausted businessman. If he really had to thwart any attempted suitors he’d definitely need to look good doing it. 

Kagome stepped out of the bathroom nearly 20 minutes later in a black spaghetti strap dress, the dress sparkling in white and crimson hues. Her hair was pulled back in a high ponytail, smoothed back perfectly, and her face had light makeup. Black low-heeled pumps adorned her feet, matching the dress, and she carried a silver chain-strapped black purse that she had thrown over her shoulder in haste. “One of my quickest ‘getting to party’ spruce-ups I’ve ever done if I do say so, myself!” Kagome called out proudly, looking around quizzically for Inuyasha. She found him standing in front of the mirror with a small pile of clothes on his bed, repeatedly holding up shirts in front of himself. 

“Kagome, how fancy of a party is thi—Holy shit—you look amazing.” He paused, nearly dropping the two shirts in his hand. He eyed Kagome from top to bottom before catching himself and faintly blushing, hoping she couldn't see it in this lighting. 

“Awww you do know how to compliment a girl; isn’t that sweet?” Kagome said in jest, earning a wrinkled nose and playful sneer from the shirtless hanyou. 

“I guess I’ll go with black. Matches the dress.” Muttering, he moved to pull the shirt on, beginning to button it up but making sure to leave the top couple buttons open. He rolled the sleeves up his elbows and checked himself out in the mirror one last time before turning to a happy Kagome.

It had been a while since she had seen him shirtless, and every time she got the chance it was like a blessing from the gods. It must have been the demon genes in him because while she busted her ass at the gym, he rarely worked out, and still looked like was chiseled out of marble. It was unfair: what a gorgeous, blessed, ass. 

“Ready to go? The Uber is almost here!” Kagome chirped before twirling excitedly in her dress and heading to the front door. 

It was party time.  
_________________________________

Kagome’s smile lit up when she stepped out of the car and got a peek of the interior of the event center. Lights shone brilliantly from inside, giving a clear view of the massive Christmas tree at the center of the main hall, and Inuyasha could practically feel the happiness exuding from her. Christmas had always been one of her favorite holidays, and to be able to go to a fancy Christmas party had always been something she’d wanted to do. The dancing, the singing, the chatting with friends, the delicious holiday food; oh yeah, she was stoked. Inuyasha would be content sitting on the sidelines and simply enjoy having a conversation with a small group of friends, but Kagome was always the popular one. She made friends wherever she went with her warmhearted personality and positive demeanor. She’d become one of the most requested veterinarians at her office in the few short months she’d been there after graduation. 

“Kagoooooome! You made it!” Shiori called from the main doors. Her silver hair was beautiful on a normal day, but was fabulously accentuated by her velvet periwinkle dress, as well as her bright lavender eyes. Kagome was taken aback by her ethereal beauty for a moment before rushing up the steps excitedly and giving her a hug. 

“Shi! You look amazing!” Kagome turned to Inuyasha to introduce him. “Shiori, this is Inuyasha. Shiori is one of the new hires like me! She’s a young spry vet tech! She should become a veterinarian herself if you ask me; she doesn't need to use stethoscopes with her wicked powerful bat hearing. Helps me all the time during examinations!” 

Inuyasha forced a polite smile, waving at her with a two-finger salute. “Hey.”

“You’re Kagome's boyfriend?” Shiori smiled at him, a silent understanding of their hanyou statuses between them as their eyes met. Hanyous were becoming more and more common in the modern age, though it didn't mean there weren't minor prejudices exposed in their day to day. 

She looked him up and down for a moment before looking at Kagome decidedly. “Good choice. Can't wait until Koga sees his competition.” 

They both blushed at her words, Kagome looking at the ground with Inuyasha staring at Shiori with a slightly open jaw. “Th-theres no competition, Shiori. That's why he’s here!” Kagome sputtered.

“Uh huh. I gotta find Sota, meet me inside later!” Shiori called out as she turned around and went back inside. She was going to be a good match for Kagome’s shy little brother; Shiori was 20, and Sota had turned 19 earlier this year. Kagome wasn’t sure if he knew what he was in for yet in the few weeks they had started to date. 

“Good choice?” Inuyasha mumbled to himself before the name Sota clicked in his brain. “Wait, your runt of a little brother is here, too?” 

“Yeah, he visited me at work a couple weeks ago and got all heart eyes over Shiori. It was adorable; love at first sight for him. Can you imagine?” Kagome peeked up through her bangs to study his reactions as she spoke. It must be a Higurashi thing, because she remembered feeling the same way over Inuyasha when they had first met, though she was never sure if he felt the same. Their friendship was too important to her to potentially screw it up and lose him completely. 

Before he could respond, she panicked and spoke again. “Hah! Like that actually happens!” Inuyasha simply looked at her, arching a brow at her sudden awkwardness. Her heart had begun to speed up again. 

“Anyway, um. Let's go find food and the bar!” She grabbed his arm and practically dragged them inside, grabbing her free gift bag at the entrance and hurriedly going into the ballroom. 

Kagome paused in the doors, taking in a small gasp. It was beautiful. Ornaments were strung from the ceiling like stars in the night sky. Various sized gift box decorations were placed throughout the room and garland was hung on the walls as well as on the edges of tables. Various groups of people were laughing and chatting with each other around the room. Long tables were set up at one end, piled high with various holiday dishes, which already had Kagome’s mouth-watering before she spotted the bartender. Yes. She needed a drink. 

After ordering their drinks, the two stood together quietly discussing Shiori and Sota. The gods had blessed them with an open bar, which had Kagome’s bank account in delight since Inuyasha could out-drink any human. In the demon world, however, he was considered a lightweight with his half-human heritage. It meant copious amounts of regular alcohol or very little of the demon made stuff. Thankfully, this bar was stocked with both since youkai and humans were attending the party. 

Neither of them noticed one of the said demons approaching as they chatted to themselves. “There's the beautiful girl!” Koga announced, leaning against the bar on one elbow as he faced the target of his affections, who slightly shifted away from him. 

“Hi Koga,” Kagome said, turning to face him for a moment with a polite smile before reaching for her drink and rolling her eyes at Inuyasha, who watched with a deadpan expression as the wolf demon’s determination didn’t falter despite Kagome’s clear body language. He was told canines were big on body language; what happened with this one? 

“So you didn't bring a date after all, huh? Where’s that so-called boyfriend, he didn't stand you up, did he?” Koga jested, signaling the bartender for another of whatever he had ordered earlier in the night. 

“Nope, right here, asshole,” Inuyasha announced, wrapping his arm around Kagome’s shoulder and pulling her closer to him as he finished off a shot of whiskey. In a split-second decision, he lowered his arm to wrap around her waist, pulling her tight against his frame. It had been less than a minute and he wanted to punch the smug wolf right in his perfect smile. 

Taken aback, Koga looked at Inuyasha with mild disgust before turning his attention to Kagome. “You picked a filthy mutt over me? Really?” 

“Excuse me?” Kagome curtly responded, her fist beginning to clench the glass in her hand. “Koga, I told you I have a boyfriend, he has a name, and his name is Inuyasha. Plus, how would Shiori feel if she heard you talking about hanyous that way?” 

“It’s not all half-breeds—” Koga started, before Kagome, all kinds of riled up, scolded him again. Her best friend and her new close friend at work were both hanyous; how dare he? 

“Hanyous—Oh so it's just dog ones? I’ve been polite about your advances, but you can go ahead and shove that pompous head right up your own ass if you think him being a half-demon makes him less of a person than you.” She shoved her finger towards his face, fire in her eyes. 

“I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume this is the alcohol talking. I’ll see you at work after the holidays, and so help me if you do not change your tune, I will report you for discrimination at a work function,” Kagome hissed, walking away from the bar to go sit at one of the tables. She could murder that wolf for saying something like that about Inuyasha alone, but in front of him? 

Inuyasha stood there stunned, looking at Koga for a moment. He held up his hand and pointed at his eyes with two fingers then turned them towards Koga; his message of 'I've got my eye on you' couldn't have been clearer, and it earned him an eye roll from the youkai before he sauntered off to a small group of coworkers. He hadn't been phased by the wolf’s words, having dealt with an asshole at his own company for the past couple of years named Naraku. That pathetic excuse of a ‘demon’ ragged on him constantly for being half-demon, as if he wasn't one himself. 

Inuyasha spotted Kagome at a table, tapping her fingers on her arms as she brooded silently by herself. He knew what would cheer her back up again: food. Knocking back his third whiskey of the night, he walked to the buffet tables, piling up two plates high with various meats, snacks, Christmas cookies, and a slice of chocolate cake on hers. 

Kagome sat up, eyes staring the plates down as he walked to the table and placed one in front of her. 

“Kagome you’ve gotta stop letting assholes like that under your skin. Don’t let him ruin your dream Christmas party, alright?” As he started to dig into his pile of meats, he shoved a fork into Kagome's hand and gestured to her plate. When she was upset like this, sweets always helped her mood. She deserved to have fun, and they were here for her, after all. 

“I guess… but—he was—he was so rude to you! He doesn’t even know you! I hate that it still happens; you don't deserve it.” 

Inuyasha snorted, earning a glare from Kagome as she picked at the food. He paused, searching for words. “Seriously, you should forget ‘bout it. I’ll grab us more drinks and we can forget we even ran into the fucker, okay?” 

She nodded, excited to spend the next couple of hours with her best friend-turned-boyfriend for the night.  
________________________

Kagome finished off her second peach bellini, setting it on the table before grabbing Inuyasha’s hand and pulling him onto the dance floor as a slow dance song came on. They had been talking the last hour, laughing at their inside jokes, and just enjoying each other’s company. She was buzzed, that was for sure, and her confidence had been progressively growing the more her drink was emptying. 

“Thank you for being my buffer with Koga tonight,” Kagome sighed out. “The arm around the waist was a nice touch.” She smiled at his embarrassed face. 

“Don’t mention it. Its wha’da boyfriend would have done, right? I’m one of those tonight.” He spoke quietly, visibly embarrassed as a faint blush spread over his cheeks. 

“Inuyasha? I have a confession to make.” She spoke into his shoulder, leaning her head against his chest while they swayed softly with the music. Most of her coworkers had paired off with their dates, and she was hyper-aware of his hands firmly around her waist, claws grazing the fabric of her dress with each movement. It was causing a tickling sensation that gave her a smile on her face. 

“Mmmmm?” 

“Shiori didn’t tell him you were my boyfriend.” She pursed her lips, closing her eyes and willing herself to finish her confession. “I did. I know how hard the holidays are for you— And I know how much you hate these work parties—Ayame got a talking to about the whole ear touching thing. I just wanted… I didn’t want you to be alone.” 

That's exactly something Kagome would do. Inuyasha mused. Think of a way to get him to her work function in a way that he wouldn't say no, so he could have a good time. She'd always been attentive to his feelings and he wouldn't have to say a word to her to know something was bothering him. “I have a confession to make myself. I’ve been keeping a secret.” 

“Oh yeah?” 

“Yeah.” With a smile on his face, he leaned down to speak into her ear. “I can tell when you lie. You’re a terrible liar; your heart starts to race.” 

A blush crept over her cheeks and she shoved her face into his shoulder. “Oh god. Over 10 years, you’ve known every time I've lied.” Her voice was thick with embarrassment as she raised her hand to cover her face. “Your damn ears pick up everything.” 

Feigning insult, he scoffed. “You told me they were one of my best qualities.”

Giggling, Kagome looked up at them between her fingers, seeing him waggling them. She couldn't help herself, pulling her hand from her face to take one in her fingers and gently rubbed. Inuyasha tilted his head into her hand, emitting a low rumble in his chest. It was one of her favorite sounds to hear from him as it meant complete bliss and relaxation, she hadn't heard it in far too long. 

“Thank you, Kagome, for being the person to make me leave my apartment. Forcing me to have new experiences—to have fun. I don’t know where I’d be without you.” He was definitely buzzed himself; words weren’t his thing, and here they were, practically pouring out of him. 

Inuyasha paused for a moment, setting his jaw, and finally getting the courage to “Kags?” 

“Yeah?’

“I think I have an idea for the favor.” 

“Oh no—so soon? I am not being your maid for two months again. I lost years off of my life doing that.” 

“W-what if, you do me a favor—and let this be real?” He couldn't look at her as he said it, instead of concentrating on a piece of her hair he had begun twirling around his finger. 

“R-real?” Kagome blurted out, blushing as she locked eyes with him. She’d wanted this for years, and here he was at a party he didn't want to go to being the one to say it. Damn it, that was the whole point of her getting the courage to lie and ask him in the first place.

Well, when in Rome. 

“We don’t need favors for that.” Emboldened, she leaned forward, eyes hooded as she eyed his lips, before suddenly stopping and gently pushing away from him and looking around the room with determination. She had seen it earlier, she was sure of it. 

“K-Kagome? W-what? You’re sending me mixed signals here.” Inuyasha was growing more and more panicked each second she didn't respond to him. She had said yes, but began immediately pulling away, telling him she changed her mind. 

“There it is!” Kagome said excitedly, before grabbing his hand tightly and dragging him to the side of the ballroom. 

“There’s what?” Inuyasha asked, irritation in his voice and his ears had begun to flatten against his head. He was sure she was pulling him to the side to let him down gently--in the overly nice Kagome way she had perfected. Wordlessly, Kagome pointed up to the ceiling. Following her motion, Inuyasha looked up directly above them and spotted a small plastic mistletoe decoration. 

“Seriously? Woman, you’re so lame sometimes,” Inuyasha mumbled, shaking his head, both ears now completely flat against it. She had freaked him out.

“Hmmmm.” Kagome pondered for a moment, her pointer finger tapping her chin. “I mean, if you don’t want to we don't hav—” 

His lips instantly on hers stopped her in her tracks. Kagome couldn't remember what she was going to say, instead wrapping her arms around his neck and deepening the contact. She’d wanted this for so long now. He’d wanted this for so goddamn long. 

Inuyasha pulled away first, leaning back even as Kagome leaned forward, insistent on keeping her lips locked on his. She kept her eyes shut and pursed her lips into a pout before begrudgingly peeking her lids open. Inuyasha’s beaming smile had her in awe. He hadn’t looked so happy in who knows how long, and she wasn’t sure if she’d seen a smile on him quite that genuine before.

Kagome gently pushed him towards the wall, happy that the lights were dim as she captured his lips again, continuing to kiss him until she ran out of breath. 

“Damn. I’m mad that it took me so long to do that, ” Inuyasha said with a laugh. His heated gaze didn’t leave her face as he lightly brushed her cheeks with the backs of his fingers, watching her lips with fervent attention as she began to speak. 

“Yeah, I’m a little mad now, too. I’ve waited years for that, you know.” 

“When we get out of here, maybe we can get a proper first date going?” Inuyasha questioned, watching Kagome bite her lower lip. “We can go over the basics, like what your favorite color is, maybe who your first crush was?” 

Kagome slapped his arm playfully. “You’re such an ass.” She stuck out her tongue, before quickly sucking it back in as he leaned forward and playfully snapped his jaws, clacking his teeth together audibly. 

“Yeah, yeah, but I’m your ass now. You’re stuck with me for Christmas,” he grinned, before kissing her again. 

“Just the gift I was hoping for, too.”


End file.
